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NAMII

NAMII

The following is an opinion piece collectively authored by seven Pennsylvania university presidents, including Penn State President Rod Erickson. Each of these leaders believe Pennsylvania is on the verge of a reinvention of its manufacturing segment through science, engineering and innovation.

With that knowledge in mind, these seven presidents are embarking on an unprecedented collaboration and are asking other institutions to join them in supporting entrepreneurial efforts to make Pennsylvania a manufacturing powerhouse, and in doing so, create high-wage jobs.

When leaders in the field of additive manufacturing gather on Penn State's University Park campus today and tomorrow (Jan. 8-9), they'll be meeting at one of the leading universities promoting the industrial breakthrough and its potential to revitalize U.S. manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing -- sometimes referred to as 3-D printing -- involves making products from a digital model. Components are created by a machine depositing thin layers of materials such as metal, plastic and ceramic repeatedly to form a three-dimensional object.

Penn State will be part of a new public-private partnership aimed at revitalizing American manufacturing and encouraging companies to invest in the United States. The new partnership, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), is a consortium of research universities, community colleges and non-profit organizations from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and manufacturing firms nationwide.